Durable Links: Introduction and FAQ
From wsuwiki
What are "durable links?"
Durable links are sometimes called "permalinks," or "deep links." Building durable links is also referred to as "deep linking." Durable links allow one to establish a URL to a specific entry or item on the web that will not readily change or experience "link rot." Within the context of information literacy at WSU (or at least within this article) durable links are a very powerful tool which allows students, faculty and staff to build web pages which can link directly to items found in many of the WSU Libraries' databases.
If you are interested in learning how to build durable links, first learn how to do it in ProQuest by reading Durable Links: ProQuest. Next learn how to use the Find It button identify other databases that offer full-text from Durable Links: Beyond Proquest.
Then you should be ready to tackle the myriad durable link building methods by consulting Durable Links: Other Databases Which Link Like ProQuest and Durable LInks: eBooks.
What can I do with durable links?
You can build a webpage that links to an electronic book in NetLibrary, a scholarly article in Academic Search Complete, etc. Including durable links in an online bibliography will give your WSU readers (both on and off campus) easy access the resources you are using.
In some databases, you can even capture a link that will conduct a topical search for you each time you click on it. This can be advantageous if you are concerned with finding updated information over time.
What are the components of a durable link?
There are two components to be aware of when building durable links to the WSU Libraries' databases:
- The WSU Libraries' proxy script so that WSU affiliates off-campus can access the resource.
- The item URL from the database itself, or the DOI.
What do I need to know about these two components of a durable link?
The WSU Libraries proxy script (http://www.systems.wsu.edu/scripts/WSUAll.pl?) should start any durable link you create to the Libraries' databases. If you do not include it, people off campus will not be able to access the resource.
The second component, the "item URL," is taken from the database. These item URLs may or may not come from the Address box in your browser. Some databases require that you copy and paste the item URL from some other location in the database, or that you follow some procedure specific to that database to access the item URL.
What are the differences between the databases when it comes to building durable links?
Databases seem to fall into six categories:
- Many databases, such as ProQuest, make it quite simple for you to link directly to an item by using the URL you see in the browser's Address box. This process is explained in more detail on the Links: ProQuest page.
- Other databases require you to click on some area of the screen to access the "stable," "durable," "permanent," etc. link. These are in the process of being listed on the Other Databases Which Link Like ProQuest page.
- Still other databases allow you to only link to an article abstract, even when the full-text articles is available. In these situations, your viewer must find the correct place to click in the abstract record before they can actually access the full-text. These databases are noted on the Other Databases Which Link Like ProQuest page.
- Another group of databases, which includes NetLibrary and the Oxford English Dictionary, requires you to locate the specific "code" for the item you want. Often this code is in the form of a series of numbers which you must plug into an alternative URL. You can find examples of this on the Durable Links: eBooks page.
- Some databases (such as Lexis-Nexis Academic) have their own special application that forms links for you.
What is a DOI?
DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. For the purposes of this article, DOIs are a series of numbers or letters, provided by some databases, with which durable links can be built. You can read more about DOIs if you need additional, technical information.
Check this page for instructions on making DOIs work with WSU databases.
What other skills do I need to know to create durable links?
Learn how to use the Find It button within the WSU Libraries' databases to access resources across databases. 
You can learn about the Find It button, and how it pertains to building durable links by reviewing the Durable Links: Beyond ProQuest page.
My durable link doesn't work. How can I fix it?
If your link does not work on campus.
- If you are creating a link, and can't get it to work while you are on a WSU campus there are several possible reasons to explain why. Make sure you follow the the examples given on the various Durable Links pages for the database you are working on.
- If you do not find a databases listed on one of the WSU Wiki durable link pages, it may mean that it is not possible to make a link to an individual article or ebook.
- If you are using some type of HTML editor (Dreamweaver, etc.) to work with the link, be aware that stray characters can enter the code when the software is not configured properly. Check carefully that the URL you are trying to build is not being corrupted in the process of making it.
If your link worked on campus for a while, but no longer does.
- If you've tried to copy and paste a URL that has a session id number attached to it, that session number will expire and make your link bad. Make sure you follow the instructions for creating a durable link for the database you are working with.
- Sometimes publishers of databases will drop a journal or magazine title from their database. This is not something anyone can predict ahead of time. If your link goes bad all of a sudden, though, it may require you to check with the Find e-journals page to see if the journal is available in a different database.
If your link works on campus, but not off campus.
- Check to see if you forgot to include the WSU Libraries proxy script, which allows WSU people off campus to access databases: http://www.systems.wsu.edu/scripts/WSUAll.pl?
Other reasons students off campus may not be able to access a good link:- The student is enrolled via another WSU Campus (not Pullman) that does not have access to the database. Each campus makes decisions about subscription databases based on local need, budget, and other issues. In this situation, consult with Jill Palmer (palmer@wsu.edu) to confirm whether the student status can be changed, and when these changes will take effect.
- "Friend IDs" add an additional layer of access problems, which have not been worked out.
- Student IP address is blocked. The student will get a message message that clearly states their IP is blocked. In this case, they need to fill out this form: http://www.systems.wsu.edu/griffin/help/OtherForm.htm
Where can I learn more about creating durable links to subscription databases?
The URL Clearinghouse, published by SUNY at Albany Libraries, contains information on creating links to subscription databases. Over 50 databases are represented on the site, with instructions on creating durable links to items in those databases. Note that the URL Clearinghouse, in an effort to be useful to many people, presents its information in a more abstract way than the Durable Link information on the WSU Wiki. At the very least, this means that you will need to remember to add the proxy script for off-campus users. It is also possible that the information about specific databases in the URL Clearinghouse may not apply to WSU users depending on the database vendor and version. The only way to find out is to try!